14 July 2025: Solidarity Day for hungerstriking prisoners

A strong sign of international solidarity has been set for the hungerstriking political prisoners in Turkey by actions and 1 day solidarity hungerstrikes in different countries on the 14th of July.

After almost 20 revolutionary prisoners in the past 2 years have succeeded with their hungerstrike resistance against the unlawful transfer to so-called „High Security Prisons“ (some of those named S, R and Y prisons), which they call „pit-type“ prisons, currently 6 prisoners continue an indefinite hunger strike with the demand to be transfered in non-pit-type prisons or that their comrades be transfered from these inhuman facilities.

1- Serkan Onur Yilmaz: since 10 November 2024, Bolu F-type prison

2- Mithat Öztürk: since 12 February 2025, Sincan High Security Prison Nr 2

3- Ali Araci: since 18 February 2025, Sincan High Security Prison Nr 1

4- Ayberk Demirdögen: since 11 March 2025, Kırıkkale F Type Prison

5- Fikret Akar: since 30 March 2025, Corlu/Karatepe High Security Prison

6- Ümit Cobanoglu: since 29 May 2025, Antalya High Security Prison

ACTIONS ON THE 14th of JULY:

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY HUNGER STRIKE:

In 11 countries, both in Europe and Turkey, a 1-day solidarity hunger strike was held on the 14th of June to support the demands of the political prisoners on indefinite hunger strike. A total of 139 people joined this action.

(Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, France, Austria, Belarus, England)

WISH BALLOONS AND LANTERNS:

In different countries, as Belgium, France, Greece, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland, the solidarity with the hungerstrikers in Turkey was expressed at the same time by wish balloons and lanterns.

Greece: The solidarity action was dedicated both to the revolutionary prisoners in Turkey who are in hungerstrike against the isolation prison types S, R and Y and to lawyer Gunay Dag in Greece and Zehra Kurtay in France, both on indefiite hungerstrike in defense of the right to political asylum!

Berlin Netherlands

Belarus:

Paris: Zehra Kurtay continues her indefinite hunger strike at a resistance tent in Paris for the right to political asylum. On the 14th July, wish balloons were released to express solidarity with the 6 hungerstrikers in Turkey.

Switzerland:

Netherlands:

“Hello, today we support the ongoing indefinite hunger strikes in our country, in Turkey. I will also be on a support hunger strike one day. And I will fly a balloon to give voice to the revolutionary prisoners.

Today marks the 246th day of hungerstrike of Serkan Onur Yilmaz. I would like to greet also our other resistance fighters Mithat Ozturk, Ali Araci, Ayberk Demirdogen, Umit Cobanoglu and Fikret Akar.

They are not alone, we will win! And we feel the enthusiasm of welcoming the victory of Ali Hasan Akgul. We believe in victory.

Thank you for watching.”

Belgium:

INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MEETING:

The solidarity is with all the resisting people and prisoners in the world and we want our voices to be louder and more effective.

We therefore invited international comrades and solidarity movements from different countries to join our solidarity and to gather in an online-assembly for the hungerstriking prisoners in Turkey on the 14th of July.

As part of the assembly direct solidarity statements were recorded from the participants, who were informed about the new isolation prisons in Turkey and the importance to resistance and international solidarity.

In total 25 people of different organisations and around 17 countries followed the call and made significant statements of solidarity with the prisoners in Turkey, while some of them also draw attention to other prisoners and campaigns, which are important and should be supported as well. Also TAYAD from Turkey, the prisoner’s family association which always stood in the first ranks of solidarity with the prisoners, people’s lawyer Gunay Dag and Zehra Kurtay, who are in an indefinite hungerstrike for their right to political asylum, were part of the online-meeting.

Participants from:

(Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Turkey, Greece, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Basque Country, Ireland, UK, Chile, Peru, Mexico and USA)